Fisheries: implementation and enforcement of the EU landing obligation Contents

Appendix 3: Glossary

Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)

The EU’s policies for managing European fishing fleets and conserving fish stocks

Defra

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (a UK Government department)

European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)

EU funding to support fishers, coastal communities and sustainable aquaculture. Each EU country is allocated a share of the fund based on the size of its fishing industry; individuals and organisations can then apply to the relevant Member State for funding

EU Council

A collective body comprising the leaders of the EU Member States

Fishing gear

Equipment used for fishing

High-grading

Discarding low-value catches of a particular species in order to preserve quota for higher-value fish

International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)

An intergovernmental organisation that aims to increase scientific knowledge of the marine environment and offer advice to governments and others on the sustainable use of marine resources

Marine Management Organisation (MMO)

Executive, non-departmental body responsible for the regulation of marine activities in the seas around England and Wales

Marine Scotland

Directorate within the Scottish Government responsible for protecting Scotland’s coastal waters

Minimum conservation reference sizes

The definition of an undersized catch, which cannot be sold for human consumption

National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO)

An organisation that aims to represent fishermen’s groups, individual fishermen and producer organisations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Passive gear

Fishing equipment or techniques that wait for the fish to come to the net/ trap (rather than active gears, which are dragged through the water)

Pelagic fisheries

Those near the ocean surface

Producer Organisations

Membership organisations, made up of fishers, that market the products of their members and manage their fishing quotas

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries

A European Commission committee, made up of scientific experts, that advises the Commission on fisheries policy

Selectivity

The ability to target specific types of fish

Total allowable catch (TAC)

The catch limit set for a particular fishery. These are agreed annually by an EU Council of fisheries ministers

Under ten metre fishing fleet

Fisheries policy and legislation often divides the industry into vessels under ten metres in length and those over ten metres, with different rules applying to the two groups. The ‘under tens’ make up around 80 per cent of the UK fleet but land only 6 per cent of the catch (by weight)